MU: (smiles) Ah, Captain Marvel. I’ll just say the demise of Captain Marvel have been greatly exaggerated! Bill, we should have some news…a much more positive announcement around the time of the San Diego Comic Con.

Segal and Ewing began working on the film three years ago at New Line before it moved over to Warners. Pic centers on teenaged Billy Batson, who transforms into the superhero when he says the word "Shazam!" The studio is now looking to go back to the original DC Comics source material for inspiration.

Previous drafts have been penned by John August, William Goldman, Bryan Goluboff and the team of Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow.

Birch is currently writing "One Finger Salute" for Warner Bros. with Andrew Lazar producing and Segal attached to direct.

Actor-turned-writer Bill Birch has been tapped to reboot "Shazam!," Warners' adaptation of a DC Comics series featuring Captain Marvel.

Geoff Johns, one of the three DC Comics heavyweights hired by the studio to act as consultants on DC projects, is also helping with the kick-start, co-writing the story with Birch.

It's somewhat fitting that Birch takes on "Shazam!" as his very name echoes the name of the comic's hero, Billy Batson, a teenager who becomes Captain Marvel when he utters the magic word "Shazam!" The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Aries, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.

The project, which was housed at New Line for several years, has had a tough time taking flight, with writers William Goldman, Bryan Goluboff, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, as well as John August taking turns writing a script.

Peter Segal remains attached to direct and also is producing with Michael Ewing.

Greg Silverman is overseeing for Warners while Gregory Noveck oversees for DC.

Birch, repped by ICM and Anonymous Content, has appeared in TV shows ranging from the original "Beverly Hills, 90210" to "Grey's Anatomy" to "The Unit." He is currently writing Warners' "One Finger Salute" to which Segal is attached to direct.

Zack Smith wrote:Currently, Geoff Johns is working on a version of Shazam! that might find its way to the big screen, or possibly as another TV series. Details are sparse, but we decided to ask: What would be necessary to make a Captain Marvel film work, and could it put Captain Marvel back on top?

Jackson Bostwick (TV’s Captain Marvel): “The most important element would the humor. Not Ha-Ha humor, but the same fun you have watching Sean Connery playing James Bond.

“The biggest mistake would be to cast a name actor in the role of Captain Marvel. Find an unknown who is charming and doesn’t look like a pro wrestler. After all, Cap is the alter ego of Billy Batson, who was selected by the old wizard Shazam because he was pure of heart and as a result wouldn’t transform himself into some Philistine thug on steroids. Captain Marvel doesn't need massive muscles; he has the magic and power of five gods and a Jewish king. That in itself is imaginative.”

Chip Kidd:” Iron Man wasn’t on anybody’s radar for a long time, and now how big is he? But you can’t just do it, it has to be really good, otherwise you wind up with something like The Shadow, or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, which is a supreme achievement that did not connect with the public. You need to get the tone right in a way that connects with the audience in a big way. It’s hard to do this stuff [laughs].”

Jeff Smith: “Who would have thought Iron Man would be relevant again? But the movie just completely worked. It was just magical and brought him back. The right team on a book or a movie could bring him back to the top, who knows?”

Alex Ross: “Any live adaptation of Captain Marvel is going to have to find and capture that invisible quality of difference from any other superhero. He’s not a kid in an adult’s body, and he’s not a living cartoon or comedic character – those to me are the worst ways to interpret him.

“Can I make the case for something heartfelt in his handling, to be made without the cynicism of our modern age? Would it be successful? Maybe, maybe not.

“Sometimes, though, one can capture the zeitgeist of the moment by being true to a unique vision, without it seeming foolproof on paper.”

Michael Uslan: “Let me put on my Hollywood hat: If, in the first 20 years of new comic book movies, you take Batman and Superman and maybe Spider-Man and X-Men out of the equation, maybe the biggest successes of comic book movies were books that never sold more than 5,000 copies an issue: Men In Black. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Mask.

"You do not need a 25 or 50 or 75-year history to make a great comic book movie. What you need are great stories and colorful characters and great filmmakers who are passionate about a particular character and have a vision for it and are able to execute it. And that’s where the magic comes.

"That’s why Iron Man was so great. That’s why Green Lantern has a great chance of succeeding. And that’s why now the second bananas are going to have their turn in the spotlight – Thor and Captain America and the Flash. And Captain Marvel will have his day.”

But what keeps the fans coming back in each new incarnation of Captain Marvel? We decided to ask the man who played him on screen a simple question: What, in his opinion, is the message that Captain Marvel sends out to fans?

Jackson Bostwick: “Never let the child in you die. That is where your imagination lies. It is the foundation on which your spirit for life is built. It is your calling to the hero’s journey.

“And being able to read about and follow a superhero of fantasy and fiction like Captain Marvel into his perilous, yet fanciful, domain as he battles against evil and injustice can momentarily transport one out of their own oft-time worrisome world of reality into a realm where selfless gallantry, virtue, honor and bravery rule the day.

“The endless fight for good over evil must never be lost and the heroic adventures of Captain Marvel, as well as a few other superheroes of comics and film, subliminally hearten the child within us that all is not lost; you can be rewarded with being ‘the best you can be’ if you will choose to travel down the paths of virtue and honor.

“Captain Marvel slips this message to the kids, and the kid within us, by entertaining us through whimsical stories and fantastic characters, and not with the strong-armed, stark realism that permeates the over-the-top, steroid-induced, superhero brutes that too often infest the comics and films of today.

“Kids can identify with Billy Batson, and dream to possess his ability to say one magic word that instantly transforms him into a superhero that can whip up on the bad guys. That in itself is a major childhood fantasy that lives within the human spirit until one dies. And this appears to be missed by DC as probably being one of the chief factors as to why Captain Marvel outsold Superman during the Golden Age.”

Kind of says it all, don’t you think?

No matter what happens next, in comics, film, television or other media, there’s seven decades of fans who still love Captain Marvel, who eagerly await new adventures in comics, film and elsewhere, and who want to wish him a happy 70th birthday. Whether it’s a film, a new series, or reprints of his classic tales, we’re here and ready for anything, from talking tigers to evil worms.

Nikki Finke wrote:We know that Warner Bros Pictures is way behind Marvel Studios when it comes to making movies out of its comic book properties. But I have intel on what is coming up at this July’s Comic-Con from the studio. A lot of stuff remains in flux but my sources have so far:

There had been talk of a Metal Men and Suicide Squad movie for sometime in 2016 but that project fell off the schedule.

Meanwhile, if you were wondering why Batman v Superman was delayed, it wasn’t the script or Ben Affleck or Jesse Eisenberg but with the fact that this pic will act as a launching pad for the Justice League. According to my source, “Like Marvel’s The Avengers, there will be cameos of superheroes for future installments. The cameos will include the already known Cyborg and Flash. Green Lantern [not played by Ryan Reynolds, thank god] may be introduced. And Aquaman will be seen in the Justice League movie. Problem is, Warner Bros Pictures was still negotiating with the actors for those cameos and future roles, meaning major contracts for multiple JL/character films to follow. The studio didn’t want to move forward until they had more of this secure so they held off starting production for a few months. Seemingly simple reason, but the implications are pretty darn huge.”

Justin Kroll wrote:“We Love Anne and have had nothing but success with her over the years,” said Toby Emmerich, President and COO of New Line. “When I look at Anne both off screen and on screen, she is such a larger than life character and it just made perfect sense to me that we put her in a DC comic movie. You look at these comic book characters and they have this certain swag and charisma that Anne carries with her where ever she is so that’s why this always made sense.”

In the last decade, Shazam has regularly appeared in “Justice League of America” comics as well as Frank Miller’s “Batman” comics.

No production date has been set, as Lemke has just been brought on to write. But once a script is delivered, DC is likely to move fast to get the film quickly up and running .

Lemke most recently penned the “Goosebumps” script for Sony; his past credits include DreamWorks Animation’s “Turbo” and “Jack the Giant Slayer.” He is repped by UTA.

The comicbook pic could grow into a series of films for Hathaway, who is continuing to add more franchises to her resume.

instant_karma wrote:

Robinov wrote:It's like, how much more black could Black Adam be? and the answer is none. None more black.

Darren Franich wrote:Earlier today, Anne Hathaway tweeted that she would be playing Black Adam in a filmed based on DC’s Shazam. The announcement was surprising for a few reasons. For one thing, Black Adam is the Big Bad in the Shazam mythology. For another thing, most of the recent buzz around the bigscreen DC universe had focused on Justice League characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman.

The Shazam project will be produced by New Line, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. proper, and when New Line president Toby Emmerich gets on the phone to EW, he makes it clear that the film will be a different kind of superhero movie. “It feels to me like Shazam will have a tone unto itself,” he explains. “It’s a DC comic, but it’s not a Justice League character, and it’s not a Marvel comic. The tone and the feeling of the movie will be different from the other range of comic book movies.”

The usual superhero-movie cone of silence prevents Emmerich from addressing any of the plot elements of Shazam directly. But when asked where the movie would fall on the superhero-movie spectrum (from dark and gritty to light and peppy), Emmerich does allow that the movie “will have a sense of fun and a sense of humor. But the stakes have to be real.”

Although it’s still unknown who will play the heroic titular character—and although New Line isn’t confirming the presence of Marvel family members Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr.—Emmerich is effusive about the addition of Anne Hathaway to the DC Universe. Comparing the role to Hathaway’s turn in Fast Five, Emmerich describes Black Adam as an antihero.

“Black Adam is a complex character,” says Emmerich. “The villain in superhero movies is often, I think, what makes the movie. And I thought Anne’s take on the character, and the way that she saw Black Adam, was really compelling and fun.”

buster00 wrote:If they're using his name in the title, it should be changed to Billy Batson's Baadasssss Song.

Moriarty on Thu May 10, 2007 1:02 am wrote:I was on the GET SMART set today. He did say what COMING SOON quoted him as saying.

We then had a private conversation about SHAZAM, and we discussed the difference between playing Black Adam and Captain Marvel.

I thought he came across as a really smart and focused guy. When I told him that the thing that makes Captain Marvel different is that he is a kid in a superhero's body, and that it's basically BIG with a cape, it's like something clicked. I don't think he'd ever heard it described like that.

Harry wrote:Hey folks, Harry here... I don't mind saying I'm terrified of SHAZAM. Don't get me wrong, I love The Scorpion King being cast as BLACK ADAM, but it's just a general feeling of dread. When the "No Joke" rumors went out across the internet last week... the notion that Warner's suits were immune to nitrous oxide... and want a no nonsense tone to their Comic Book movies... that was like the final ringing of the bell. SHAZAM is just plain fucked. Combine that rumor with Geoff Johns' New 52 clusterfuck with SHAZAM... I just knew... My beloved creation of the great CC BECK was going to be Velveeta instead of the Big Red Cheese that I wanted. However, Entertainment Weekly talked to Toby Emmerich about the project and I'm just a tad relaxed now.

Here's what Toby Emmerich said to EW: "“will have a sense of fun and a sense of humor. But the stakes have to be real.” He also said, “It’s a DC comic, but it’s not a Justice League character, and it’s not a Marvel comic. The tone and the feeling of the movie will be different from the other range of comic book movies.”

Personally - I still have trouble thinking of Captain Marvel as a DC character. I know for basically my entire life time he and the other CC Beck creations were all owned by DC... But I grew up reading the Fawcett Comics and at the same time - I was exposed to the great old Serial version THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL, which was one of the very best Comic Book serials ever created! However, it was the wrong tone.

For me, Captain Marvel is a child's dream of what being a superhero would be. Corny crisp delicious dialogue and a general SWEETNESS. For SHAZAM to be great - it really has to be a completely different film "from the other range of comic book movies." There has to be whimsy and visual outrageousness. I know that BLACK ADAM is a part of the story... but I hope that he's involved due to Sivana's power mad schemes... or Mr. Mind's. Personally, I'd prefer Mr. Mind. Cuz, if Mr. Mind were to steal Black Adam's powers... there could be hilarious visuals that we'd never forget.

SHAZAM should not be set in our real world, but a magical side-universe all its own. Before Fawcett Comics was caught in legal hell with DC comics - The Captain Marvel Empire was out selling SUPERMAN and every other comic in the era. The dream of speaking a magic word and becoming a hero that could tackle everything from the absurdest imaginings that Beck and others could draw... but the AXIS powers - but even then, it would be absurdist in tone.

Now - I know, I've got a very different experience with Captain Marvel, simply because I don't call him SHAZAM, but that's because the wizard was named Shazam, Not Captain Marvel... and I grew up with a group of comic geeks that were always pissed that National Publications won the suit and forced FAWCETT Comics to cease telling stories, because... well, they all considered it legal bullshit. AND I get that - they were huge fans of Capatin Marvel, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and The Marvel Family.

But with New Line sheparding the SHAZAM movie... perhaps we have a chance to really restore Captain Marvel. Making SHAZAM a bit silly is actually a requirement for it to be cool. But it has to have a surreal tone to it.

In fact, it is so particular that I can't help but be terrified of Hollywood making the film. But if we get to the Rock of Eternity... if we get the 7 Deadly Sins... or... dare I speak the words... Tawky Tawny... please give us Tawky Tawny! But keep him Anthropormorphized and in a clashy plaid suit!

The reality is - SHAZAM could be the most fun we've ever had at a Comic Book movie, but only if perfect. It's weirder and more fun than anything we've yet seen - and if they embrace the silly, impractical WOW of it all, this is a movie that could touch the kid in all of us. Even if you are unaware yours is still alive.

The only cross-over film with the DC Universe characters that I'd want to see The Big Red Cheese to appear in would be a feature adaptation of KINGDOM COME, but since we're probably 20 years from that miracle ever coming to be... I just hope that everyone making SHAZAM! is making the film from a childlike gaze of wonder and hilarity. Thrilling, not gritty. What do you folks think?

Evan Saathoff wrote:As hinted at in the entry above, The Marvelous Land of Oz is all about a boy named Tip who discovers he is actually a girl who had been transformed into a boy with magic. This comes as quite a shock to him, as you can probably imagine. But everyone gives him a pep talk, and soon he accepts the loss of his wiener. As Ozma, she ends up ruling Oz quite well and repels several attempts to steal her throne.

Mike Fleming Jr wrote:“The overall deal is for producing, but Emmerich said the studio sees him as an emerging major filmmaker and they hope he will grow in that capacity on the Warner Bros lot. “New Line has always been a big believer in great filmmakers emerging from the horror genre, and he has the potential to grow like Frank Darabont did, from writing A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 to writing and directing The Shawshank Redemption,” Emmerich told me. “James will make an important movie for New Line and Warner Bros or DC, and that is definitely part of the plan, and a reason for bringing him into the family. He’s the only overall director with a deal here, because we see him as a class of one.”

TUFAYEL AHMED wrote:It’s fair to say that Warner Bros.’ DC Comics movie universe has stumbled out of the starting blocks in 2016—both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have been met with tepid reviews by both fans and critics.

For Warner Bros., which announced an ambitious slate of superhero movies springboarding from the presumed success of Batman v Superman back in 2014, there must be some sweaty palms as it moves onto Justice League, an Avengers -like team-up movie, and Wonder Woman in 2017.

Two people with a vested interest in the direction of WB’s DC Comics world are Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his producing partner and manager, Dany Garcia. In 2014, Johnson announced he will star as villain (some might say anti-hero) Black Adam in 2019’s Shazam! , based on the superhero previously known as Captain Marvel. But aside from the odd expression of enthusiasm from the actor here and there, not much more is known about the film. That is until now.It’s fair to say that Warner Bros.’ DC Comics movie universe has stumbled out of the starting blocks in 2016—both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad have been met with tepid reviews by both fans and critics.

For Warner Bros., which announced an ambitious slate of superhero movies springboarding from the presumed success of Batman v Superman back in 2014, there must be some sweaty palms as it moves onto Justice League, an Avengers -like team-up movie, and Wonder Woman in 2017.

Two people with a vested interest in the direction of WB’s DC Comics world are Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his producing partner and manager, Dany Garcia. In 2014, Johnson announced he will star as villain (some might say anti-hero) Black Adam in 2019’s Shazam! , based on the superhero previously known as Captain Marvel. But aside from the odd expression of enthusiasm from the actor here and there, not much more is known about the film. That is until now.

Speaking to Newsweek this week, Garcia explained that she and Johnson aren’t worried about the audience reaction to recent DC efforts because they will be heavily involved in the film on all fronts.

As well as Johnson starring in the comic book movie, he and Garcia will co-produce Shazam! through their Seven Bucks Productions company alongside New Line Cinema, a division of WB. (The project is set up at New Line, not directly at WB like the other DC movies.)

Says Garcia: “Shazam! is to live in the same world [as the other films] but we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are working with a different team, different producers, directors… it’s a different set-up.

Speaking to Newsweek this week, Garcia explained that she and Johnson aren’t worried about the audience reaction to recent DC efforts because they will be heavily involved in the film on all fronts.

As well as Johnson starring in the comic book movie, he and Garcia will co-produce Shazam! through their Seven Bucks Productions company alongside New Line Cinema, a division of WB. (The project is set up at New Line, not directly at WB like the other DC movies.)

Says Garcia: “Shazam! is to live in the same world [as the other films] but we have incredible autonomy over this brand and franchise. We are working with a different team, different producers, directors… it’s a different set-up.

Since Johnson announced his participation in the project in 2014 (although he has been talking about the film for nearly a decade now) there has been little development announced, such as other principal castings, or even a director.

So, where do things stand at present? “We’re getting [script] drafts in… it’s important to make sure we get the tone right for Black Adam, which is Dwayne’s part,” Garcia says. “We don’t mind taking our time. We’re being very careful with each act and scene to go back and layer in as much as possible.”

The producer expands: “We’ve got so many wonderful superhero franchises out there… we don’t need to run away from them and say ‘we can’t be that,’ but it’s important to understand what are the best aspects of a Batman [movie] versus Avengers versus Deadpool? What are the elements people are responding to? We want to move the needle.”

Graeme McMillan wrote:Little is known about Warner Bros.' Shazam! movie, beyond that The Rock has signed on to play the movie's antagonist, Black Adam, and the fact that it will, apparently, be part of the same fictional universe as Justice League, Suicide Squad and the other DC superhero movies. Which raises the question: Is the movie Shazam! doomed to repeat the comic book version's mistakes?

A little history is required before we go any further. Although he's not one of the most recognizable superheroes out there, Shazam is one of the longest-serving; he debuted in 1940's Whiz Comics No. 2, the creation of cartoonist C.C. Beck. At the time, though, he was called Captain Marvel — a name the character continues to use, on occasion, to this day despite Marvel claiming a trademark on it in the mid-1960s.

To say Captain Marvel was successful when he first appeared would be an understatement; appearing across a number of series published by Fawcett Publications (including his own solo title, Captain Marvel Adventures), he was outselling every other superhero in the medium by the mid-1940s, a fact celebrated with the cover tagline "LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY COMIC MAGAZINE." Sadly, the hero's career would never reach such heights again.

A lawsuit from National Publications — which would later become DC Entertainment — claiming that Captain Marvel was derivative of Superman dragged on for years, going through multiple judgments (first, that Captain Marvel was derivative but National had failed to copyright Superman appropriately, then that National had copyrighted Superman but that Captain Marvel didn't constitute infringement even though some of his powers did) before being settled in 1953 in a way that essentially ended Captain Marvel's career: Fawcett shuttered its comics department, agreed to never publish a Captain Marvel title again and paid National $400,000 in damages.

That Captain Marvel survived at all after that is a fluke, but in 1972, National — now known as DC Comics — licensed the rights to the character for a 1973 relaunch that mixed reprints of the original material with all-new stories originally written and drawn by Beck himself. By this point, Marvel had trademarked the Captain Marvel name, so the series was titled Shazam!, with each cover announcing that the title featured "the original Captain Marvel."

The revival wasn't a great success; Beck soon quit, dissatisfied with the direction DC had decided to take with the character, and the series was cancelled with its 35th issue, setting in place the template for Captain Marvel's future in the DC portfolio — periodic revivals that fail to find a large enough audience, followed by long stretches of disuse punctuated by guest appearances in other comic books.

Of the character's irregular reappearances, arguably his most successful were two 2015 releases: Convergence: Shazam! and The Multiversity: Thunderworld. What set those two revivals apart from anything else DC had attempted in decades were their refusal to try and retool the character to make sense in the wider DC comic book universe. Not only did the atmosphere of both reflect Beck's original optimism (and moral simplicity), but they restored the idea that Captain Marvel — and he was, once again, called Captain Marvel in both comics despite the "primary" character having been officially renamed Shazam in 2012 — worked best in a world where he (and his "Marvel Family" of sidekicks and siblings) were the sole force for good against the "Monster Society of Evil."

In a world where Superman and the Justice League exists, Captain Marvel doesn't really make sense. His power set is already represented and the mythical figures that give him his powers — "Shazam," the magic word that transforms him from the underage Billy Batson into the adult superhero, is an acronym for Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury, each of whom lend him specific attributes of theirs — are already present via the Wonder Woman mythology. Plus, the wish fulfillment aspect that made the hero so popular to children in the 1940s and '50s is flattened somewhat by the fact that, well, he's just less special when surrounded by countless other characters as colorful as he is.

The dissonance is even more pronounced when you compare the childlike sense of joy and wonder implicit in the best Shazam! stories with the cynicism and stylized "realism" of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice or Suicide Squad. How can the two co-exist side-by-side? Can the DC Extended Universe contain both, comfortably?

That is the core question movie executives will have to answer before the 2019 movie. Without that core belief that good will overcome evil, Shazam! isn't the Captain Marvel of old — and arguably doesn't offer anything that the DC movie mythology already possesses elsewhere, with the exception of the phrase "starring Dwayne Johnson." DC's comic arm struggled to make the Shazam! work for decades before last year's successes — does DC Films have the same troubles lying ahead?

Had a very cool and strategic meeting with the heads of DC Comics about their entire universe. As a hard core DC fan, to get a real sense of the tonal shifts and developments coming in these future movies has me fired up. Something we, as DC fans have all been waiting for. Hope, optimism & FUN. I'm excited about our future together and you should be to.

Even when talking about the the most ruthless villain/anti-hero of all time finally coming to life. Prepare yourselves DC Universe.

Borys Kit wrote:New Line and DC Entertainment are doubling down on comic book hero Shazam!

New Line, which has been for over a decade developing a movie on the longtime DC character, will develop concurrently a movie centering on Black Adam, with Dwayne Johnson attached to star as Shazam’s arch-nemesis.

The move stems from last week’s high-level meeting with Johnson and DC Films co-head and comics author Geoff Johns, after which Johnson took to social media to promise “hope, optimism & fun.”

But on a deeper level, the meeting led to a reconfiguring of the Shazam! movie. Johnson has been attached to play Black Adam since around 2008. Since that time, the actor has become arguably the biggest male actor on the planet. To execs, it made no sense to have a man of Johnson’s stature be just a villain and a supporting character in an expensive tentpole. Thus a decision was made to spin Black Adam into his own film.

Adam’s screen take involves him being an anti-hero. And it also mirrors recent developments in the DC comics, in stories written by Johns, where Adam, while still a villain, was fighting against enemies who sought to enslave his people.

No writer or filmmaker is attached to Black Adam. Shazam! has a script that is being worked by Henry Gayden, says one source.

One of the oldest comic characters around, Shazam was originally known as Captain Marvel. The stories centered on Billy Batson, a teenager who becomes the superhero when he utters the magic word "Shazam!" The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Aries, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.

Sandberg, the filmmaker behind the upcoming Annabelle 2, is in talks to direct the New Line Cinema adaptation of the DC Comics character, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Sandberg released his debut feature, Lights Out, last year, with the horror film earning more than $148 million on a $4.9 million budget.

First appearing in 1940's Whiz Comics No. 2, Shazam was originally known as Captain Marvel. The stories starred teen Billy Batson, who becomes the superhero when he utters the magic word, "Shazam!" The name is an acronym for six gods and heroes of the ancient world as well as their attributes: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Aries, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury.

Last month, news broke that Dwayne Johnson, who has long been attached to play Shazam! villain Black Adam, would star in his own spinoff movie as the character. Johnson's big-screen take on Black Adam will see him cast as an antihero, mirroring developments in recent DC Comics by Geoff Johns.

The Black Adam movie is concurrently being developed with Shazam, which has a script by Henry Gayden.

“Yes, of course, Black Adam—in the mythology—is a villain. Or he can be considered an antihero. Or, to some, he’s a hero. To some who have a black heart, like me [chuckles]. Again, I love the backstory that he started off as a slave and he was held down. I think that kind of backstory—about a man who’s held down and he rises up out of that to become greater and then dealing with the conflict and pain of losing his family—it’s dark. But it also adds to the gravity and adds to the weight of the story... And it means to me, uh, he’s a hero.”

/film:Exclusive: Kevin Feige on Why the ‘Captain Marvel’ Directors Were the Right People For the Job

Kevin Feige wrote:They came in many, many times and impressed us in the room with what they had to say about Captain Marvel! […] They live in New York and they would fly out at a moment’s notice to come in and pitch on it, which always means a lot. Anna and Ryan had a strong sense of, not just the plotting and the machinations of the plot, but on Captain Marvel!’s journey, which is the most important thing about the movie. We can help out with all the accoutrements of action and sci-fi worlds, but we wanted someone who could really be a guiding hand to Captain Marvel! and to that journey, which is what the whole movie is about: someone becoming the most powerful being in the universe. You look at their work and like most of the directors we’ve hired, [they’re] not giant, effects-drive action, but rather very unique and very personal character stories and character journeys. And very diverse, in terms of the subject matter they’ve chosen to tell and they nail it every time. I think they see Captain Marvel! as another rich, three-dimensional character to explore, who just happens to be able to fly and punch through moons and to lead intergalactic teams.

Borys Kit wrote:The project is looking to go before cameras in January or February of next year with a likely release in 2019, sources say.Shazam!, the story about a boy who transforms into Earth's mightiest mortal, looks to be the next DC Cinematic Universe movie, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

David F. Sandberg, the filmmaker behind upcoming Annabelle: Creation, will direct the feature that hails from Warner Bros.' sister division, New Line. The project is looking to go before cameras in January or February of next year with a likely release in 2019, according to sources.

Peter Safran, who worked with Sandberg on the Annabelle sequel and is also producing Aquaman, is in negotiations to board Shazam! as producer.

It is unclear whether Dwayne Johnson, who has long been attached to play Shazam! villain Black Adam, will be involved with the project. But he is attached as star and producer of the Black Adam spinoff being developed concurrently to Shazam!

Warners is feeling revived in its DCU with the stunning success of Wonder Woman, and earlier this week slotted two DC movies on the release calendar for 2020. It has several films queueing up on the runway, but at this stage, Shazam! will take off first. Flash was delayed by a lack of a director, while a sequel to Wonder Woman is only in the early treatment writing stage. Joss Whedon is overseeing postproduction and reshoots on Justice League and won't be ready to tackle a Batgirl film until after the former is out the door. A sequel to Suicide Squad, which is closing in on a helmer, is eyeing a mid-2018 start.

New Line is high on Sandberg, who it proudly sees as a homegrown talent. The Swede was making horror shorts in his apartment using his iPhone when one of them caught the eye of the studio, which then adapted it into the 2016 surprise hit Lights Out, which he directed. That led to the company putting him on the Annabelle sequel, which screened to a standing-room-only crowd as part of the fan-tastic festivities at San Diego Comic-Con. New Line has also been holding sold-out preview screenings around the country.

To go from iPhone filmmaker to a full-blown DC movie director in a scant three or four years is itself a Shazam!-like transformation.

Patrick Shanley wrote:The studio exec confirmed the news that Johnson's Black Adam will not appear in the upcoming film.Dwayne Johnson will not appear in the upcoming superhero film Shazam!, according to DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns.

"We haven't announced any casting yet," Johns told Yahoo Movies. "But Dwayne isn't going to be in this movie. He's still doing Black Adam, but he won't be in Shazam!"

News of Shazam!, which follows a young boy who transforms into Earth's mightiest mortal, being the next DC film in line to shoot was reported Thursday by The Hollywood Reporter. The film is yet to cast its leads, but Johnson has been attached to the role of Shazam's main antagonist, Black Adam, since 2008.

Due to Johnson's meteoric rise to one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, however, a stand-alone Black Adam film was announced to showcase the star, with Johnson leading and producing.

The plan at the moment seems to be making concurrent films, both Shazam! and Black Adam, with the intention of the two characters sharing the screen together further down the line.